Thursday, April 7, 2016

1:07 PM

State Rep. David Bowen, vice chair of the state Dem Party, is the first Wisconsin superdelegate to endorse Bernie Sanders for president, saying today “the voters on our side have spoken.”

Bowen, D-Milwaukee, committed to Sanders two days after the Vermont senator beat Hillary Clinton by 13.5 percentage points in Wisconsin’s Dem presidential primary. Sanders won every county but Milwaukee.

“We have two good candidates,” Bowen said in a phone interview. “But the Bernie Sanders platform has taken a hold in Wisconsin decisively.”

Wisconsin has 10 superdelegates, and six pledged their support to Clinton ahead of the primary.

Of those who remain uncommitted, state Dem Chair Martha Laning has said she'll back the party's eventual presidential nominee, DNC member Jason Rae will support the candidate who has the most pledged candidates going into the national convention, and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents the 2nd District around Madison, said last month he won't endorse a candidate until after the final state primary in June.

Bowen said his endorsement of Sanders also helps “bring some balance” to whom the state’s superdelegates are supporting.

“I don’t want there to be a situation where so many Democrats in Wisconsin are supporting Bernie Sanders and there’s no superdelegate support for his campaign,” Bowen said.